Foremost Hat Museum Charts New Global Course for Millinery at Paris Fashion Week Dual Book Launch

PARIS, France, October 8, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- On 4 October 2026, Foremost Hat Museum of Nantong, China — the country’s first private museum dedicated to millinery art and heritage — hosted a landmark dual-book launch at Hôtel du Louvre, unveiling"101 Hats" and "Dao, the Greatest Gift" to a European audience. The dual-book launch, which bridges the worlds of fashion and philosophy, is spearheaded by Jeffrey Sun, founder of Foremost Hat Museum. The evening also saw the official launch of the World Headwear Fund, an industry-wide initiative set to reshape the global landscape of hat creation, craft preservation and cross-border cultural exchange.

Gathering over 70 distinguished guests from the international fashion, art and cultural spheres, the event marked a defining moment for global millinery. For decades, the discipline has occupied a unique yet fragmented position within the global fashion system: a carrier of intangible craft heritage and a cornerstone of runway identity, yet lacking a unified, authoritative archive of contemporary practice across borders. "101 Hats" was created to fill that gap. Curated across 20 countries and featuring works by 72 leading milliners, the volume is more than a publication — it is a panoramic survey of 21st-century millinery creativity, documenting diverse artistic languages and regional craft traditions for future generations.

The event drew the most authoritative voices in global hat design and fashion education. Legendary milliner Stephen Jones, whose work has defined haute couture headwear for decades, joined the celebration alongside Elly Stemerdink, editor-in-chief of The Hat Magazine — the world’s leading publication dedicated to millinery. Roger Tredre, esteemed fashion critic, historian and course leader of MA Fashion Communication at Central Saint Martins, also took the stage to share insights into the book’s significance for fashion scholarship and archival practice. All three contributed prefaces to the landmark volume.

The evening’s most defining announcement was the launch of the World Headwear Fund. Initiated by the founder of Foremost Hat Museum, the fund is built on a core mission: to unite forces across the global millinery sector, and provide sustained support to practitioners and artists dedicated to original hat creation, traditional craft inheritance and the international dissemination of hat culture. For an industry long reliant on individual ateliers and regional ecosystems, the fund represents the first China-originated, globally oriented institutional platform dedicated to advancing millinery as a universal art form.

Complementing the contemporary fashion focus of "101 Hats," the second title "Dao, the Greatest Gift" brought philosophical depth to the fashion week programme. A brand-new English translation of Laozi’s 2,500-year-old Daodejing, the work reimagines how ancient Chinese wisdom can resonate with modern creative thinking. The translation’s distinctive “Dao-style English” prioritises rhythm, concision and inner resonance, seeking to restore the literary elegance and philosophical nuance often lost in earlier Western renditions.

The event drew extensive media attention from both Chinese and international outlets. Senior editorial representatives from European Times and Phoenix TV attended to extend their congratulations, while correspondents from The New York Times and Harper’s Bazaar were on site for interviews and coverage, reflecting the cross-industry interest generated by the launch.

Among the 72 designers profiled in "101 Hats," 13 attended the Paris event in person. Foremost Hat Museum awarded each of them an official Collection Certificate and conveyed its commitment to ongoing, long-term collaboration moving forward.

Also in attendance were French artist representatives Laurence and Ma Zelin; Su Xiaoqing and Wang Fang of the France-China Committee for Development and Exchange; and Zhou Xiaoyan, Chairwoman of Huaxia Group Milan. These representatives of Chinese communities across Europe each delivered remarks to congratulate the museum on the landmark launch.

For Foremost Hat Museum, the Paris launch solidifies its position as a pioneer beyond traditional museum work. What began as an institution dedicated to preserving and exhibiting hat heritage has evolved into a global catalyst: curating international talent, building collaborative infrastructure, and anchoring contemporary fashion in enduring cultural values. In bringing "101 Hats" and the World Headwear Fund to the heart of Paris Fashion Week, the museum demonstrates how a Chinese cultural institution can lead, not just participate, in the global fashion conversation.

About Nantong Foremost Hat Museum

Founded in 1996, Nantong Foremost Garments & Accessories Co., Ltd. has grown into a leading comprehensive enterprise in China’s headwear industry over 30 years. It has been honored as a National Specialized, Refined, Differential and Innovative SME and a Hidden Champion of Chinese Manufacturing. Integrating R&D, design, manufacturing and distribution, its core products cover hats, gloves and scarves. With six production bases at home and abroad and multiple proprietary headwear brands, it runs China’s first full-category Foremost Hat Museum, has published multiple works on headwear culture, and hosts the "920 Headwear Carnival," "International Headwear Design Competition," and "101 Series Cultural Events" to advance industry exchange and cultural dissemination.

Media Contact

Jessy Guan
COO, Nantong Foremost Hat Museum
gxjessy@4mostcaps.com
+86 131 6736 7306